On a roll

Iconic San Antonio burger lands on sizzling list of America's best

Chris Madrid's hamburger burger San Antonio

The Daily Meal crowned Chris Madrid's Tostada Burger as one of the best in the nation.

Like pizza and tacos, burgers are good even when they're sort of bad. But as hard as it is to mess up a burger, it’s even more difficult to make it really great.

That’s where The Daily Meal comes in. In June, editors of the popular foodie website first compiled the country's 300 top burgers by combining data from online reviews and local roundups. Then, they asked a panel of food writers and culinary experts to vote on their favorites to create the 101 Best Burgers in America.

With all the buzz around Alamo City, it should be no surprise that a local restaurant made the cut. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the Texas Monthly-approved Folc Burger at Bexar Pub or one of the over-the-top monsters popular on Instagram feeds, but a burger that's as San Antonio as it gets.

Chris Madrid’s iconic Tostada Burger came in at No. 61 on the list for its reinterpretation of the San Antonio-born bean burger. The Daily Meal editors praised the long-running restaurant's innovations — like subbing in cheddar for traditional Cheez Whiz and making the corn chips in house — saying it all plays well with the sweetness of the toasted bun.

While the eatery is still recovering from a devastating fire in October 2017, owner Richard Peacock set up an outdoor version of the restaurant in December, where you can enjoy all the classic offerings along with an ice-cold beer. In late June, it even added mister fans to help with the blistering South Texas heat.

Overall, Texas was well represented on the list. Houston had the most restaurants with Hubcap Grill, Christian’s Tailgate, Becks Prime, and Lankford Grocery all getting a nod. Austin received mentions for Second Bar + Kitchen, Hopdoddy Burger Bar’s Classic burger (also available in San Antonio), and Hut’s Hamburgers. Fort Worth and Buffalo Gap each had one burger included with Cowtown’s Love Shack earning the No. 32 slot for the Dirty Love Burger and the West Texas town’s Perini Ranch scoring a win for its basic hamburger.

Dallas scored some of the highest ratings on the list. Keller’s Drive-In was mentioned for its two-patty Number 5 Special, which ranked No. 66. Knife’s Ozersky Burger, coming soon to Austin with the opening of a future Knife Burger, landed at No. 37.

And at No. 17, the all-American cheeseburger at Dallas' Maple & Motor is the top Texas burger, according to The Daily Meal.

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These Boots Are Made for Sippin'

Western rooftop bar pop-up gets San Antonio in the mood for the rodeo

High Praise/Instagram

The Dusty Diamond is ready for rodeo romps.

Before the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo get here in February, a temporary rodeo-ready bar is settling in. Every Thursday through Sunday, from now until March 2 (completely encapsulating the actual rodeo's schedule), the themed pop-up Dusty Diamond is taking over High Praise Rooftop Bar.

The Intercontinental San Antonio Riverwalk debuted in August of 2024, and with it was High Praise. That makes this the "first-ever rodeo-themed pop-up bar," according to a press release — suggesting that this might become a tradition for the new rooftop bar, a moody space with both indoor and outdoor sections.

The Dusty Diamond will have some fun touches in the decor including cowhide rugs, wagon wheels, and lanterns, but the real fun is in the activities. Guests can try riding the mechanical bull, testing their lasso skills, and getting their hats branded and bandanas embroidered by Hat Bar San Antonio. Pus, they can pick up jewelry by Kendra Scott, handmade leather items by Tried and True Leather, and more branding by Tecovas on products made by the brand.

On the drinks menu, there are 10 special cocktails inspired by country hits like "Boots Stop Working" with Tito's Vodka, Cointreau Orange liqueur, raspberries, lemon juice, rosé, and a rose petal; and “If I was a Cowboy" with Pendleton Whiskey, Creole Orgeat, angostura bitters, pecan bitters, and a dried lime garnish. "This One's for the Girls" is a pickly pear ranch water made with Surtierra tequila, a rodeo partner alongside Stockman Wine.

Guests can taste Surtierra and Stockman Wine in the lobby of the hotel from 7-9pm every other Saturday, starting January 18. If they buy a bottle of tequila, all proceeds will benefit scholarships for students in Texas.

The food menu has Tex-Mex bites like shrimp-esquites tostadas, deviled eggs, chips and caviar, pulled pork sliders, and chicken lollipops with jalapeño honey.

High Praise is open from 5-11 pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10 am to 11 pm on Saturdays, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sundays. On Saturday, February 1, the pop-up will open early at 9 am so that guests can stop by on their way to the Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive on Houston St., which starts at Market Square about half a mile away.

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